The Fairytale-Esq Story of Dave Combs’ “Rachel’s Song” – and the Business Savvy That Propels It
Host: Dean Rothbart
Apr 30, 2023
Audio 1:11:16
Dave Combs is a disarmingly charming southerner, a former telecommunications executive, and a man of faith. He’s also a hardcore entrepreneur and one of the most successful musicians and music distributors you’ve probably never heard of.
Since Dave and his friend, studio pianist Gary Prim, recorded their first instrumental tune in 1986 — Rachel’s Song — the duo has produced 15 successful instrumental albums which have attracted millions of worldwide fans. Dave displays more than 50,000 fan letters at his home in Winston Salem, North Carolina.
The story behind Dave’s serendipitous success is fairytale-esq.
Not a single mainstream music publisher or distributor would touch Rachel’s Song. So Dave turned to a non-conventional route, selling his CDs through gift shops – eventually building a network of more than 1,000 stores.
The song proved to be magnetic. Shoppers would hear it playing overhead in a store and just need to buy it. One local shop alone sold thousands of Dave Combs albums.
Host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart points out that fueling Dave’s serendipity were some savvy business insights — the kind that can help make anyone’s bottom line sing.
